ASTM_D_5789_-_95.pdf

Designation:D 5789 95Standard Practice forWriting Quality Control Specifications for Standard TestMethods for Organic Constituents1This standard is issued under the fixed designation D 5789;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon(e)indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1.Scope1.1 This practice covers specific requirements for incorpo-rating quality control procedures into an ASTM test method.1.2 The requirements in this practice should be looked uponas the primary requirements for quality control of a specific testmethod.In many cases,it may be desirable to implementadditional quality control criteria to ensure the desired qualityof data.The guidelines are intended to be incorporated into acomprehensive approach to quality assurance and qualitycontrol that include the more general approaches described inPractices D 3856 and D 4210.1.3 The specific requirements in this practice may not beappropriate for all test methods.They will vary depending onthe type of test method used as well as the analyte beingdetermined and the sample matrix being analyzed.1.4 This practice is for use with quantitative test methodsand may not be applicable to qualitative test methods.1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns,if any,associated with its use.It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:D 1129 Terminology Relating to Water2D 1193 Specification for Reagent Water2D 2777 Practice for Determination of Precision and Bias ofApplicable Methods of Committee D-19 on Water2D 3695 Test Method for Volatile Alcohols in Water byDirect AqueousInjection Gas Chromatography3D 3856 Guide for Good Laboratory Practices in Laborato-ries Engaged in Sampling and Analysis of Water2D 4210 Practice for Intralaboratory Quality Control Proce-dures and a Discussion on Reporting Low-Level Data2D 4375 Terminology for Basic Statistics in CommitteeD-19 on Water2D 5788 Guide for Spiking Organics into Aqueous Samples33.Terminology3.1 DefinitionsFor definitions of other terms used in thispractice,refer to Terminologies D 1129 and D 4375.3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:3.2.1 calibration standardsstandard solutions of knownconcentration either purchased from an external source orprepared in-house from materials of known purity or concen-tration,or both,used to calibrate instrumentation.3.2.2 external calibration checkanalysis of an indepen-dent standard solution such as a certified reference material ofknown purity and concentration either obtained from theNational Institute of Standards and Technology or other repu-table supplier other than the laboratorys usual source.Thisanalysis is carried out periodically to check the accuracy of thelaboratorys routine calibration standard solutions.3.2.3 matrix spikeaddition of a known concentration ofanalyte to a sample representing a specific matrix for thepurpose of evaluating interference and recovery from matrixcomponents.3.2.4 method blankreagent water(see SpecificationD 1193)either known to be free of the constituent of interest orcontaining only a low,known concentration of the constituentof interest not exceeding five times the estimated minimumdetection level.The purpose of the analysis of the methodblank is to confirm that the reagents or analytical system,orboth,do not contribute a measurable amount of the constituentof interest during analysis of routine samples or,if they do,todetermine what that contribution is.3.2.5 quality control samplea sample of known concen-tration and composition that is taken through the entireanalytical procedure to determine whether the analytical sys-tem is in control.The sample can be a certified referencematerial obtained from an outside source or prepared in-housefrom materials of known purity and concentration.The qualitycontrol(QC)sample shall be prepared from a material thatsufficiently challenges the test.Alternatively,the QC samplemay be a fully characterized real sample of the matrix that istypically analyzed.3.2.6 sample pretreatmentany handling,manipulation ortreatment of a sample prior to subjecting it to the primary modeof analysis.Examples are filtration,digestion,dilution,pHadjustment,or extraction.3.2.7 set of samplesa group of 20 or fewer samples of the1This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D-19 on Water andis the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D19.06 on Methods for Analysis forOrganic Substances in Water.Current edition approved Sept.10,1995.Published November 1995.2Annual Book of ASTM Standards,Vol 11.01.3Annual Book of ASTM Standards,Vol 11.02.1AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR TESTING AND MATERIALS100 Barr Harbo